Yesterday, the BAFTA Game Awards 2024 honored the past twelve months of the industry. Hosted by comedian and former Taskmaster contestant Phil Wang, the show was a celebration of what gamin?g has achieved recently.

As is typical with a lot of award shows, there were some varying a?ttempts at humor. Which is a shame because, knowing Phil's work, I suspect he was not responsible for a lot of the jokes written on the teleprompter.

Still, it didn't detract from the jubilation, as a lot of games?? released in the past year �?as well as their respective developers �?were given their due credits. Below are the list of all the winners and nominations from this year's event.

Animation

• Alan Wake 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• WINNER: Hi-Fi Rush

Artistic Achievement

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cocoon
• Diablo 4
• Finaly Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush
• WINNER: Alan Wake 2

Audio Achievement

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Hi-Fi Rush
• The Legend of Zelda: tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• WINNER: Alan Wake 2

British Game

• Cassette Beasts
• Dead Island 2
• Disney Illusion Island
• Football Manager 2024
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
• WINNER: Viewfinder

Debut Game

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
• Viewfinder
• WINNER: Venba

Evolving Game

• Final Fantasy XIV Online
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Genshin Impact
• No Man's Sky
• WINNER: Cyberpunk 2077

Family

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Disney Illusion Island
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Hogwarts Legacy
• WINNER: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Game Beyond Entertainment

• Chants of Sennaar
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Terra Nil
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba
• WINNER: Tchia

Game Design

• Cocoon
• Dredge
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Viewfinder
• WINNER: Dave the Diver

Multiplayer

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Diablo 4
• Forza Motorsport
• Party Animals
• WINNER: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Music

• Alan Wake 2
• Assassin's Creed Mirage
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

Narrative

• Alan Wake 2
• Dredge
• Final Fantasy XVI
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Star Wars Jed: Survivor
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

New Intellectual Property

• Chants of Sennaar
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Jusant
• WINNER: Viewfinder

Performer In A Leading Role

• Amelia Tyler (Narrator in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Cameron Monaghan (Carl Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Neil Newbon (Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Samantha Béart (Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• WINNER: Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

Performer In A Supporting Role

• Debra Wilson (Cere Juna in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Ralph Ineson (Cidolfus "Cid" Telamon in Final Fantasy XVI)
• Sam Lake (Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2)
• Tony Todd (Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• Tracy Wiles (Jaheira in Baldur's Gate 3)
• WINNER: Andrew Wincott (Raphael in Baldur's Gate 3)

Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Horizon Call of the Mountain
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Starfield
• WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

EE Players' Choice Award (public vote)

• Cyberpunk 2077
• Fortnite
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Lethal Company
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

Best Game

• Alan Wake 2
• Dave the Diver
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

BAFTA Game Special Award

• SpecialEffect, presented to founder and CEO Dr. Mick Donegan MBE for "outstanding contributions to games, film and television" in helping "people with even the most severe physical challenges to access video games."

The post BAFTA Game ?Awards 2024: All? winners and nominations appeared first on Destructoid.

Lethal Company has enjoyed enormous success since it launched just a couple of months ago. From smashing its player record not long after releasing to being the top-selling game on Steam (where it still sits), it's been quite the journey for indie developer Zeeker?ss??. Now, the title could walk away with one of gaming's greatest honors.

The Steam Awards recently revealed the player-voted nominations for this year. With categories such as Labor of Love, Best Game on Steam Deck, Most Innovative Gameplay, and more, there's a lot of competition about. However, it's seeing Lethal Company up for Game of the Year that's most intriguing.

Obviously, we're aware of just how successful the release has been, but it says something that it's able to go up against the likes of Baldur's Gate 3 and Resident Evil 4. Those are some elbows Zeeke??rss' game?? is rubbing against, and it'll be interesting to see whether it can come out on top against such names.

Something of an underdog story

In a world of AAA flexing and classic releases being given a new lease on life in the form of remakes and remasters, it's tough for independent games to stand out. Whether Lethal Company takes the Game of the Year award away or not doesn't detract from the fact that it was nominated in th??e first place.

At the time of writi??ng, it's still going strong, and I have �?rather ashamedly �?still not got round to pl??aying it.

If you want to vote on your favorite in each of the Steam Awards categories, you ca??n do so from December 21 (when the St??eam Winter sale begins). Voting will close at 10am PT on January 2, so you've got the holiday period to make your choices.

The post Lethal Co??mpany is up for Game of the Year at The Steam Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Ragnarok wins the most BAFTAs, but Vampire takes the top prize

The 2023 BAFTA Games Awards have concluded, and with a bit of a surprise to close out the night. God of War Ragnarok won the most awards at the show, but the BAFTA Best Game winner for 2023 was a different game entirely: Vampire Survivors.

Poncle's reverse bullet hell (bullet heaven?) game made a surprising impact early in 2022, and seeing it recognized by the BAFTAs is pretty cool. Vampire Survivors spawned a l??egion of imitators and became an instant Steam Deck hit, and it's nice to see the studio get some recognition for a stellar year, even when up against some heavy-hitters.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HXNxWbRgsg

Those heavyweights still took home hardware, though. God of War Ragnarok received the most accolades of the night, including Performer in a Leading Role for Christopher Judge and Performer in a Supporting Role for Laya DeLeon Hayes. Elden Ring, meanwhile, tallied up two trophies, as did Tunic and Vampire Survivors.

Other winners include the haunting FMV story Immortality, the PlayStation graphical powerhouse Horizon Forbidden West, and a BAFTA Fellowship for Shuhei Yoshida??, which recognizes an individual's outstanding and exceptional contribution to the medium. Here's the full run-down.

2023 BAFTA Games Awards winners

• Best Game: Vampire Survivors
• Game Design: Vampire Survivors
• Original Property: Elden Ring
• Multiplayer: Elden Ring
• Animation: God of War Ragnarok
• Audio Achievement: God of War Ragnarok
• Music: God of War Ragnarok
• Artistic Achievement: Tunic
• Debut Game: Tunic
• Narrative: Immortality
• Technical Achievement: Horizon Forbidden West
• Performer in a Leading Role: Christopher Judge (God of War Ragnarok)
• Performer in a Supporting Role: Laya DeLeon Hayes (God of War Ragnarok)
• British Game: Rollerdrome
• Evolving Game: Final Fantasy XIV
• Family: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Game Beyond Entertainment: Endling - Extinction is Forever
• BAFTA Fellowship: Shuhei Yoshida
• EE Game of the Year (public vote): God of War Ragnarok

The post Vampire Survivors takes home Best Game at 2023 BAFTA Games Awar?ds appeared first on Destructoid.

Good Boy

A dazzling Japanese "3D" billboard for Square Enix hit Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has been declared the winner of a contest held by the Tokyo Outdoor Advertising Association (TOAA).

The Final Fantasy VII 3D billboard, which could be seen in Tokyo back in the winter of 2021, stars beloved party member RED XIII, who is chased down by a Shinra helicopter high up over the rooftops of Midgar. Fortunately, it all ends happily, as our boy falls into a toy warehouse, for some goofy fake?? moustache chicanery. It's a genuinely fascinating and gorgeous piece of animation, and one can only imagine how ??much joy it brought to onlookers during the holiday period.

You can ch?eck out the full animation in ??the video below.

//www.youtube.com/wat?ch?v=j6OFS3DCmmA&ab_channel=%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%A2%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A8%E3%83%8B%E3%83%83??%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9

The Tokyo Outdoor Advertising Contest, which is held every two years, recognizes advertising that it believes not only displays creativity and amazing visual design, but that also suitably fits in with the environment, offering a form of "art and spectacle" over the general crassness and tackiness of most advertising. Also brought into consideration are the advert's impact on the surrounding area, and whether or not ??it disrupts the aesthetic of the local area.

While 3D billboards are nothing new, they are still incredibly sparse in their use in mainstream society, gen?erally located to major metropolis' such as Tokyo, New York, and countries such as China and South Korea. They use depth perception and optical illusion to make characters appear to be leaping out from the buildings themselves and, when partenered with imaginative brands and beautiful animation, make for visually stunning talking points for passerbys.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is available now on PS5 and PC.

The post Amazing Final Fantasy V??II Red XIII 3D billboard wins advertising award appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony Santa Monica sequel leads award charge

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has released its nominee list for the 2023 iteration of its BAFTA Game Awards, which are scheduled to take place later this month �?And Sony Santa Monica sequel God of War Ragnarok is le?ading the way, with a record-breaking 14 nominations.

The critically acclaimed, and multi-award-winning fantasy adventure is nominated in the majority of the year's categories, including Best Technical Achievement, Narrative, Music, Multiplayer, Game Design, Artistic Achievement, and, of course, B?est Game. Additionally, Christopher Judge is up for Performer in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Kratos, while Danielle Bisutti is nominated in the Performer in a Supporting Role category for her portrayal of the troubled witch, Freya. It seems highly unlikely that the smash-seller will not walk away without a fistful of gongs �?at the very least �?come the big night.

Aside from the God of War Ragnarok nomination sweep, plenty of great releases from 2022 are also hoping to take home a coveted BAFTA award. Titles such as FromSoftware's Elden Ring, Guerilla Games' Horizon Forbidden West, Team Asobo's A Plague Tale: Requiem, and Annapurna Interactive's Stray have also all received nominations, alongside smaller-sized hits including Half Mermaid's FMV mystery Immortality, Finji's Tunic, Massive Monster's Cult of the Lamb, and Poncle's compelling mobile title Vampire Survivors.

The BAFTA ceremony will take place on March 30.

You can check out the full list of categories and nominations over on the official BAFTA website.

The post God of War Ragnarok has a ?record-breaking 14 BAFTA nominations appeared first on Destructoid.

2022's titans keep taking home trophies

The curtain has fallen on the 2023 DICE Awards. And if you were paying attention to all the end-of-year awards as they've rolled o??ut, the outcome may not be too surprising.

The awards, hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, had its membership base of over 30,000 industry members vote on the various categories. Elden Ring walked away with five of them, while God of War Ragnarok snatched seven.

It wasn't just their night, though. Other hits from 2022, including Tunic and Vampire Survivors, got some recognition. And Double Fine Productions' Tim Schafer was recognized for his contributions to the industry with the Hall of Fame award. If you want to learn more about that, I can't recommend the recently released PsychOdyssey documentary about the making of Psychonauts 2 enough.

Still, it looks like Elden Ring and Ragnarok remain the two big titans of 2022, warring it out for the annual awards. We still have the annual Game Developers Choice Awards ahead of us, as part of GDC, to see if some other games ?can bring home some hardware.

Here's the full list of 2023 DICE Award winners.

2023 DICE Awards winners

Game of the Year: Elden Ring

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Elden Ring

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Elden Ring

Outstanding Achievement in Animation: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Achievement in Character: God of War Ragnarök - Kratos

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Achievement in Story: God of War Ragnarök

Outstanding Technical Achievement: Elden Ring

Action Game of the Year: Vampire Survivors

Adventure Game of the Year: God of War Ragnarök

Family Game of the Year: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Fighting Game of the Year: MultiVersus

Racing Game of the Year: Gran Turismo 7

Role-Playing Game of the Year: Elden Ring

Sports Game of the Year: OlliOlli World

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Dwarf Fortress

Online Game of the Year: Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement: Red Matter 2

Immersive Reality Game of the Year: Red Matter 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game: Tunic

Mobile Game of the Year: Marvel Snap

The post Elden Rin??g and God of War Ragnarok win ??big at 2023 DICE Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Better luck next year, Extreme Paintbrawl

Tonight is the biggest night and music, and for composer Stephanie Economou, it might be one of the biggest nights of her career. The seasoned musician was one of five people up for a Grammy this year for video game music. This is the first year the category has been a part of the show, and given how instrumental music is to the gaming industry and how easy it is to access your favorite scores on Spotify and Apple Music, one would hope it will be here for many years to come. The award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games?? and Other Interactive Media, which is the award's official name, was handed out in the Grammy's pre-show, going to Economou for her work on the score soundtrack for Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok.

Dawn of Ragnarok is the expansion for AC Valhalla that was released in March of last year to decent reviews. Clearly, the music from the game was more than just decent as Economou managed to take the gramophone over some pretty tough competition. Other nominees including in this inaugural batch were Austin Wintory for Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Bear McCreary for Call of Duty: Vanguard, Richard Jacques for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and Christopher Tin for Old World.

Expect to see Bear McCreary up for this award again next year with his work on the Game Award-winning score to God of War: Ragnarok. Here's to hoping with this category around, we'll start seeing every video game publisher releasing their scores and soundtracks commercially. I know I would appreciate having the entirety of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 soundtrack at? the ready for when I take my walks every day.

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok wins inaugural video game Grammy appeared first on Destructoid.

Last year's indies are making for some tough competition

The nominees for the 2023 Independent Games Festival Awards are locked in. And after a stellar year for independent games, the categories look ??pretty packed with viable candidates.

Both action-adventure game Tunic and dreamlike RPG Betrayal at Club Low leads the nominations at three apiece. Some other familiar faces from awards season also appear, including Immortality, Neon White, and NORCO.

Of course, the IGFs are also great for finding hidden gems you missed in the year prior, and the 2023 nominees are no different. While you might be aware of some notable breakouts, there may be some lesser-known games hanging ar??ound in the nominees or honorable? mentions worth checking out.

The IGF Awards are par??t of GDC 2023, which is b??eing held in San Francisco this coming March 20 through 24.

Here's the full lineup for this year's 2023 IGF nominees and honorable mentio??ns.

2023 Independent Games Festival Awards nominees

Best Student Game

• Gevaudan (Nicolas Bernard)
• Mind Diver (Indoor Sunglasses)
• Presenter Slides (Mathias Schifter & Brin Žvan)
• Shutter (ARTFX 2022)
• Skala (Gustav Almström)
• Slider (randomerz)

Honorable Mentions: A Mallard's Song (Ducky Elford), Error143 (Jenny Vi Pham), Paper Planet (Doodlegames), The Longest Walk (Alexander Tarvet), zenosyne (Ezra Szanton)

Excellence in Audio

• Dome Keeper (Bippinbits)
• Paradise Marsh (LazyEti)
• South of the Circle (State of Play)
• The Forest Quartet (Mads & Friends)
• TUNIC (TUNIC Team)
• We are OFK (Team OFK)

Honorable Mentions: Betrayal at Club Low (Cosmo D Studios), Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster), IMMORTALITY (Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid), Melatonin (Half Asleep), Neon White (Angel Matrix), Tinykin (Splashteam)

Excellence in Design

• Against the Storm (Eremite Games)
• Betrayal at Club Low (Cosmo D Studios)
• Mr. Sun's Hatbox (Kenny Sun)
• Neon White (Angel Matrix)
• Stacklands (Sokpop Collective)
• The Case of the Golden Idol (Color Gray Games)

Honorable Mentions: Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over the Age), Cursed to Golf (Chuhai Labs), Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator (niceplay games), Swordship (Digital Kingdom), Terra Nil (Free Lives), Tinykin (Splashteam)

Excellence in Narrative

• Butterfly Soup 2 (Brianna Lei)
• Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over the Age)
• I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (Northway Games)
• IMMORTALITY (Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid)
• NORCO (Geography of Robots)
• South of the Circle (State of Play)

Honorable Mentions: Eternal Threads (Cosmonaut Studios), Queer Man Peering Into a Rock Pool.jpg (Fuzzy Ghost), Roadwarden (Moral Anxiety Studio), The Case of the Golden Idol (Color Gray Games), The Excavation of Hob's Barrow (Cloak and Dagger Games), The Wreck (The Pixel Hunt)

Excellence in Visual Arts

• Afterglitch (Vladimir Kudelka)
• How Deep Is the Dark Water? (Rhett Tsai)
• Potionomics (Voracious Games)
• RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (DeskWorks Inc.)
• To Hell With the Ugly (La Poule Noire, ARTE France)
• TUNIC (TUNIC Team)

Honorable Mentions: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (Northway Games), Melatonin (Half Asleep), NAIAD (HiWarp), Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator (niceplay games), Return to Monkey Island (Terrible Toybox), Swordship (Digital Kingdom), Terra Nil (Free Lives), Voodoo Detective (Short Sleeve Studio LLC)

Nuovo Award

• Afterglitch (Vladimir Kudelka)
• An Outcry (Quinn K.)
• Betrayal at Club Low (Cosmo D Studios)
• He Fucked The Girl Out Of Me (Taylor McCue)
• Queer Man Peering Into a Rock Pool.jpg (Fuzzy Ghost)
• Sylvie Lime (Love♥️Game)
• Time Bandit (Joel Jordon)
• Titanic II: Orchestra for Dying At Sea (Flan Falacci)

Honorable Mentions: Atuel (Matajuegos), Ib (kouri), Not For Broadcast (NotGames), Of Moons and Mania (Absurd Walls), RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (DeskWorks Inc.)

Seumas McNally Grand Prize

• Betrayal at Club Low (Cosmo D Studios)
• TUNIC (TUNIC Team)
• The Case of the Golden Idol (Color Gray Games)
• IMMORTALITY (Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid)
• Neon White (Angel Matrix)
• Not For Broadcast (NotGames)

Honorable Mentions: Tinykin (Splashteam), Terra Nil (Free Lives), RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (DeskWorks Inc.), Roadwarden (Moral Anxiety Studio), Hardspace: Shipbreaker (Blackbird Interactive), Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over the Age)

The post 2023 IGF Awards nominations ??include Tunic, Club ??Low, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

The 'I'm walkin' here' award goes to...

Yesterday saw the ??New York Videogame Crit??ics Circle host its 12th annual New York Game Awards, celebrating the best releases to hit the PC, console, and mobile gaming market in 2022.

In a ceremony packed full of, frankly, oddly monikered categories Elden Ring was the big winner of the evening, taking home the "Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year". In addition, FromSoftware's highly celebrated fantasy RPG also captured the "Statue of Liberty Award for Best World". Elden Ring, as you will no doubt be aware, topped many outlets' "Best of" lists at the end of 2022, (including our own), which is a testament to the title's appeal in aesthetic design, gameplay, and atmosphere????.

Other big winners of the night included Poncle's Vampire Survivors, which won the "Off-Broadway Award for Best Indie Game", while actor Manon Gage took home the "Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game", for her affecting performance in Sam Barlow's Immortality. The "A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game" was won by card-battle Marvel Snap, while the "Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game" went to Sony Santa Monica's brutal and evocative sequel God of War: Ragnarok.

Here is the winners' list for the 2023 New York Game Awards:

• Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year: Elden Ring
• Off-Broadway Award for Best Indie Game: Vampire Survivors
• Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game: God of War Ragnarök
• Statue of Liberty Award for Best World: Elden Ring
• Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game: Metal: Hellsinger
• Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game: Manon Gage (Immortality)
• Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game: Moss: Book II
• Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game: Marvel Snap
• Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake: The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
• Joltin�?Joe Award for Best Esports Player of the Year: Masaya "aMSa" Chikamoto (VGBootCamp/Red Bull Esports)
• Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem: Signalis
• NYC GWB Award for Best DLC: Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
• Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism: Justin Heckert (Vanity Fair)
• Elizabeth Jennings Graham Award for Best Educator: Ryan O'Callaghan
• Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient: Phil Spencer

The post Elden Ring bags another Best Game trophy at New York Game ??Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Horizon and Elden Ring are just behind Ragnarok in nominations

The nominees for the 26th annual DICE Awards are out, honoring everything the industry had to offer over the last year. From God of War Ragnarok to Elden Ring, there's som??e stiff competition for the top spot.

The DICE Awards, put on by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23 as t?he end of w?eek-long 2023 D.I.C.E. Summit. Academy members will be able to start voting today, Jan. 12, on which games will receive the big awards.

What's up for grabs at the DICE Awards? Categories include outstanding achievement in animation, art direction, story, audio design, and more. And there is o?f course, the top spot: Game of the Year.

The top contenders may not be a surprise, if you've been following the Game of the Year discussions, awards, and deliberations from 2022. God of War Ragnarok leads the nominees by placing in 12 categories, with Horizon Forbidden West at 8 nominations and Elden Ring coming in at 7 nominations. Dig a bit further down, though, and you'll find some other outstanding hits like Immortality, Tunic, and Vampire Survivors.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1wr0DfV73E

I?t's a tough competition this year, but it ??should be fun seeing who takes home some hardware. Here's the full list of 2023 D.I.C.E. Awards nominees.

26th Annual DICE Awards nominees

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course
• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Moss: Book II

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Stray
• The Callisto Protocol

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll - Alejandro Vargas
• God of War Ragnarök - Atreus
• God of War Ragnarök - Kratos
• Horizon Forbidden West - Aloy
• Return to Monkey Island - Guybrush Threepwood

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Metal: Hellsinger
• Moss: Book II

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll
• God of War Ragnarök
• Gotham Knights
• Somerville

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
• IMMORTALITY
• NORCO

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Teardown

Action Game of the Year

• Bayonetta 3
• Grounded
• Neon White
• Sifu
• Vampire Survivors

Adventure Game of the Year

• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• NORCO
• Stray
• TUNIC

Family Game of the Year

• Disney Dreamlight Valley
• Kirby's Dream Buffet
• Lost in Play
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Trombone Champ

Fighting Game of the Year

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
• MultiVersus
• Rumbleverse
• SpiderHeck
• THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV

Racing Game of the Year

• F1 22
• Gran Turismo 7
• Need for Speed Unbound

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Citizen Sleeper
• Elden Ring
• Weird West
• World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Sports Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS FIFA 23
• Mario Strikers: Battle League
• MLB The Show 22
• NBA 2k23
• OlliOlli World

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• Dwarf Fortress
• IXION
• Marvel's Midnight Suns
• Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
• Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Among Us VR
• Cosmonious High
• Moss: Book II
• Red Matter 2
• The Last Clockwinder

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Cosmonious High
• Moss: Book II
• Red Matter 2
• Tentacula
• The Last Clockwinder

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• IMMORTALITY
• Neon White
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
• TUNIC
• Vampire Survivors

Mobile Game of the Year

• Diablo Immortal
• Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
• IMMORTALITY
• MARVEL SNAP
• Poinpy

Online Game of the Year

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ll
• EA SPORTS FIFA 23
• FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
• MARVEL SNAP
• Rumbleverse

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• MARVEL SNAP
• TUNIC
• Vampire Survivors

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• IMMORTALITY
• TUNIC

Game of the Year

• Elden Ring
• God of War Ragnarök
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Stray
• Vampire Survivors

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Five gongs for The Lands Between

Last night saw the arguable start of awards season, with the return of the annual Golden Joystick Awards, an institution that has now run for some four decades. Presented by GamesRada?r, the 2022 edition of the veteran UK ceremony saw almost three million votes cast by the gaming public, hoping to shine a spotlight on the many titles that have entertained them over the past 12 months.

And, in what may prove to be something of a portent for things to come, Bandai Namco's challenging fantasy adventure Elden Ring was the big winner on the night, walking away with five awards in total including Ultimate Game of the Year and the Critic's Choice award, (as well as, curiously, Best Multiplayer). Devolver Digital's Cult of the Lamb took home the Best Indie Game gong, while actor Mahon Mage won Best Performer for her memorable turn in FMV mystery Immortality.

Steam hit Vampire Survivors won Best Breakthrough, while Goat Simulator 3 bagged Best Game Trailer for its amusing Dead Island 2 pastiche. Finally, as voted for by the public, the Most Wanted Game for 2023 was won by Nintendo's highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcYAU1c0lMk

Here are the winners for the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards:

Best Storytelling: Horizon Forbidden West

Still Playing Award: Genshin Impact

Best Visual Design: Elden Ring

Studio of the Year: FromSoftware Inc.

Best Game Expansion: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

Best Early Access Launch: Slime Rancher 2

Best Indie Game: Cult of the Lamb

Best Multiplayer Game: Elden Ring

Best Audio: Metal: Hellsinger

Best Game Trailer: Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer

Best Game Community: Final Fantasy XIV

Best Gaming Hardware: Steam Deck

Breakthrough Award: Vampire Survivors (critically chosen)

Critics�?Choice Award: Elden Ring (critically chosen)

Best Performer: Manon Gage - IMMORTALITY (critically chosen)

Nintendo Game of the Year: Pokemon Legends: Arceus

PC Game of the Year: Return to Monkey Island

PlayStation Game of the Year: Stray

Xbox Game of the Year: Grounded

Most Wanted Game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Ultimate Game of the Year: Elden Ring

The post Elden Ring wins big at the 2022 Golden ??Joystick Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

It Takes Two and Ratchet & Clank also at the winners' table

This weekend saw the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) host its annual awards ceremony, The IGDA Global Indu??stry Game Awards. The event recognizes some of the best titles in recent memory, with a keen focus on the mechanics, technical prowess, and use of new and upcoming technology to create titles that are as respected by developers as they are by button-mashing players.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBal-P2BT4Y

While many titles were featured in the 2022 edition of the IGDA Game Awards, several titles, in particular, walked away with armfuls of gongs. The biggest winner was Arkane's time-warping shooter Deathloop, which bagged itself a very impressive 13 awards across numerous categories. This was closely followed by Electronic Arts' co-op adventure and frequent GOTY winner It Takes Two, which would go home carrying 10 trophies.

Among the other big winners were Housemarque's excellent PS5 blaster Returnal, and Insomniac Games' cartoonish adventure Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, both of which masterfully used the fledgling PS5 infrastructure to create ambitious titles with dazzling visuals, epic locations, and exciting, cinematic gameplay. On the indie front, n?ewcomer Double Loop Games won the awards for Upcoming Indie Stud??io and Workplace Diversity and Inclusivity.

You can check out the full list of winners from the 2022 IGDA Global Industry Game Awards below.

Art

• 2D Animation �?Unpacking by Witch Beam
• 2D Character Design �?Boyfriend Dungeon by Kitfox
• 2D Environment Art �?Unpacking by Witch Beam
• 3D Animation �?em> It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• 3D Character Design �?It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• 3D Environment Art �?Deathloop by Arkane
• Cinematography �?Life is Strange: True Colors by Deck Nine
• UI Art �?em> Deathloop by Arkane
• VFX �?Returnal by Housemarque

Audio

• Music Composition �?Deathloop by Arkane
• Sound Design �?Returnal by Housemarque
• Voice Acting �?Deathloop by Arkane

Design

• Accessibility Innovation �?Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games
• Gameplay Design �?It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• Level Design �?It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• Systems Design �?Deathloop by Arkane
• UI/UX �?em> Deathloop by Arkane

Engineering/Technology

• Achievements in New Technology �?Returnal by Housemarque
• AI �?Returnal by Housemarque
• Audio Technology �?Deathloop by Arkane
• Engine Technology �?Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games
• Gameplay Technology �?Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games
• Graphics Technology �?Forza Horizon 5 by Playground Games
• Networking Technology �?Valheim by Iron Gate AB & It Takes Two by Hazelight
• Systems Technology �?Deathloop by Arkane

Support

• Community Management �?It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• Customer Support �?em> It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• Marketing �?Deathloop by Arkane
• Production/Management �?em> Deathloop by Arkane
• Quality Assurance �?Deathloop by Arkane
• Research & Analytics �?Deathloop by Arkane

Writing/Narrative

• Dialogue �?It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• Narrative Design �?It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• Story �?em> It Takes Two by Hazelight Studios
• World Building �?Returnal by Housemarque

Miscellaneous

• Representation �?Deathloop by Arkane
• Upcoming Indie �?Double Loop Games
• Workplace Diversity and Inclusivity �?Double Loop Games
• Trust/Safety �?Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker by Square Enix

The post Deathloop, Returnal score big a??t the 2022 IGDA Game Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

This lamb got the chops

Devolver Digital's comically unnerving roguelike, Cult of the Lamb, has ironically become something of a cult hit itself, winning over fans with its creepy-cute visuals, anarchic attitude, and engaging gameplay �?In fact, Massive Monster's indie hit has already bagged its first Game of the Year award, courtesy of the Australian Game Developer Awards.

The event, which took place on the evening on October 4, recognized the best of interactive entertainment from 2022 to date, focusing mostly on the output of independent studios working within the region. Cult of the Lamb scuttled off with four well-deserved gongs, including Excellence in Art, Excellence in Music, Excellence in Gameplay, and the aforementioned Game ??of the Year award.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsPtUNB1z-Q

"After experiencing our success overseas, it was an amazing feeling to see our game really resonate with Australians as well," said creative director Julian Wilton of the win. "We received such strong support locally and we love that it�??�s being enjoyed, not just for the gameplay, but also for the art and music."

I'm not sure quite how many followers had to be sacrificed at the altar of "The One who Waits" to receive these ??awards, and I'm not sure I w?ant to know.

In addition to Massive Monster's success, the Australian Game Developer Awards committee �?which consists of a panel of 70 industry specialists �?also rewarded Studio Drydock with the prizes for Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Mobile Games for its spellbinding farming title, Wylde Flowers. Gameloft, an industry veteran with a catalog ?packed f?ull of mobile game success �?was awarded Studio of the Year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=68kdOBKCh04

You can check out the full list of winners below.

Game of the Year: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Art: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Gameplay: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Narrative: Wylde Flowers

Excellence in Sound Design: Heavenly Bodies

Excellence in Music: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Technical Design: Age of Darkness: Final Stand

Excellence in Accessibility (Presented by VicScreen): Lost and Hound

Excellence in Mobile Games: Wylde Flowers

Excellence in AR/VR: Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown

Excellence in Serious Games (Applied/Impactful): Kinder World

Excellence in Emerging Games (Student or Early Career): Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg

Excellence in Ongoing Games (Games as a Service): The Oregon Trail

Rising Star Award: Raymond Corrigan

Ambition Award: Ryan McMahon

Adam Lancman Award: Clara Reeves

Studio of the Year: Gameloft

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Also, the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection

The Japan Game Awards ceremony took place this past weekend at TGS 2022, and the results are i??n for the top 10 award-winning games. As a bi??t of context, each year an organization called the Computer Entertainment Association of Japan doles out awards at TGS, honoring a variety of games from multiple regions.

Here's the full list of 10 games that won the Future Division category (in no particular order), which quite literally highlights titles th?at are coming up, and haven't been released yet:

• A Space for the Unbound
• Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
• Exoprimal
• Street Fighter VI
• Sonic Frontiers
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Forspoken
• Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key
• Like a Dragon: Ishin
• Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection

Note that not all of these g??ames were even playable at TGS, so the award isn't necessarily tied to quality and hands-on experience.

The two that definitely stand out are Forspoken and Sonic Frontiers, who have had polarizing receptions since their debuts. Exoprimal is also on the "wait and see" list. The rest, to a degree, makes sense. I've played the Wo Long demo and can vouch that so far, it looks really promising. With Naoki "Yoshi P" Yoshida on Final Fantasy XVI, things seem to be on track. Street Fighter VI is obviously a darling. Plus, the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection award seems to have lumped in both separate SKUs, which would make it a?? powe?rhouse of a re-release.

If you're interested, the official Tokyo Game Show YouTube account uploaded the entire hour??-and-a-hal??f ceremony, which you can watch below.

The full 2022 Japan Game Awards ceremony:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2doNGaUZ1Q

The post FFXVI, Sonic Frontiers, Wo Long take h?ome Japan Game Awards at TGS 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

The animated series gets a nod right out of the gate

[Update: Arcane walked away with four trophies on the first night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. It took home the award for Outstanding Animated Program, beating Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons, and Marvel's What If...? It was also awarded three jury pr??izes in Outstanding Individual Achievemen??t in Animation.]

Riot Games and Fortiche Productions' Arcane has been nominated?? for two categories in the 2022 Emmy awards. The animated series has nominations for both sound editing and outstanding animated program of the year.

The nominations, announced this morning, put two more award nominations on Arcane's resume. Arcane is in the Outstanding Animated Progra??m - 2022 category and Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation - 2022.

Both cite the episode "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down," the sixth episode of Arcane season one.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Svs_hl897c

Arcane does have some competition in the animation category, though. Marvel's What If...? short series was also nominated, as was Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, and The Simpsons.

The sound editing category, meanwhile, also includes Barry, Cobra Kai, Love Death + Robots, Ted Lasso, and What We Do In The Shadows.

Don't Jinx it

The League of Legends animated series did make a pretty big splash on Netflix, though. Impressions of the show were positive, my own included, and a second season is already in production. Heck, Riot Games even purchased some significant equity in the animation studio, Fortiche.

Safe to say that whether Arcane goes home with a trophy or not, it's still a big success for League in the streaming world. It's not even the only streaming series covering League of Legends right now; Paramount+ has been hosting Players, a fictional series about a pro League team competing in the LCS from the creators behind American Vandal. (And seriously, if esports by way of the American Vandal team interests you, you should go watch that.)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DkvrwvKeZU

While it straddles the line of book series and game series a bit, The Witcher also got some nods in this year's Emmys: Outstanding Special Visual Effects, Outstanding? Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, and Outstanding Stunt Coordination.

The post League of Legends series Ar?ca??ne nabs two Emmy nominations (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

The (other) Game Awards

And so the sun sets on another Gamescom �?and it seems that this year's event was something of a successful comeback. Making a grand return to Germany's Koelnmesse complex, the first physical Ga?mescom in over two years saw players, press, and publishers gather together to show off and/or experience some of the top titles currently working their way toward an eager gaming public.

While some, this author included, found the Opening Night Live stream a tad underwhelming, there was a large selection of interesting games and projects showcased both online and on the show floor over the course of the week-long event. As is tradition, a jury of Gamescom's peers and employees has put together an awards list, shining the spotlight on a ??selection o?f titles showcased during the event that stood out to the panel as being particularly promising, impressive releases.

Now, of course, we don't need to put too much weight on this list. It is, after all, an honors list of Gamescom games as decided by Gamescom. But it's still interesting to see which of the 100+ games in attendance this week have been selected as featuring some special promise, and it may help them find their way onto your own personal radar. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more of Lies of P.

Here are the Gamescom 2022 award winners:

Best Action Adventure Game: Lies of P
Best Action Game: Metal: Hellsinger
Best Family Game: Paper Trail
Best Indie Game: Inkulinati
Best Multiplayer Game: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Best Ongoing Game: Sea of Thieves
Best Role Playing Game: Lies of P
Best Sports Game: AEW: Fight Forever
Best Strategy/Simulation Game: IXION
Most Original Game: Inkulinati
Most Wanted Microsoft Xbox Game: The Last Case of Benedict Fox
Most Wanted Nintendo Switch Game: Tin Hearts
Most Wanted PC Game: Metal: Hellsinger
Most Wanted Sony PlayStation Game: Lies of P
Best Trailer/Announcement: Hogwarts Legacy
Best Booth: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Best Lineup: Plaion
Heart of Gaming Award �?The game industry’s solidarity with Ukraine
Gamescom Goes Green Award: Ukie

The post Here are the winners of this year’s Gamescom 2022 awards appeared first on Destructoid.

The Awards are back this December

It's another year, and that means another bout of The Game Awards. Today, the show confirmed its stre??am date for this year will be Thursday, December 8. And The Game Awards 2022 is a??lso adding another category, for Best Adaptation.

In a press release, the awards organization announced it will introduce Best Adaptation, a category for adaptations of video game intellectual properties into other media. This includes (but i??s not limited to) theatrical movies, stream?ing shows, podcasts, novels, and comic books.

This awards category could potentially include a number of different adaptations, though no nominees are lock??ed in just yet.

The Game Awards 2022 will stream live on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok Live. The show? will also partner with IMAX to host a live community IMAX event in different cities around the world. More details will be announced in the coming months for that.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KZ3MKraNKY

The wide, wide world of adaptations

News of this category isn't too surprising, as video game adaptations have become quite the trend. Even last year's Game Awards showed off a teaser for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the Halo TV series.

The sheer volume of incoming adaptations is pretty massive, too. Just today, a new report dropped of Sony developing a Gravity Rush film, alongside last week's report of a Days Gone feature in production. We also just got a look at Sony's upcoming The Last of Us HBO series.

Those wouldn't be in the running for this year's awards (barring a sudden and speedy debut), but several other projects would be. The aforementioned Halo series would be though, as would the Netflix Resident Evil series. If we're going by December-to-December rules, that leaves League of Legends series Arcane out of the mix unless something drops between now and the Awards. Sonic 2 is a presumptive frontrunner, most likely.

We'll learn more as we get closer to The Game Awa?rds 2022 air date on December 8.

The post The Game A?wards announces 2022 date and adds category for Bes??t Adaptation appeared first on Destructoid.

The Grammys are singing their praises

Even to those who don't regularly play video games, their music is iconic, and in many cases instantly recognizable. There are a? ton of different factors that can make a game stand out as one of the greats, and a great soundtrack alone is enough to make a title stick in?? our heads for years to come. The Grammys are the most prestigious awards in music, and now they're finally giving video game music the credit that it's due.

The Recording Academy actually added five new categories that wi??ll be honored at the? awards ceremony next year, including "Songwriter of the Year," "Best Spoken Word Poetry Album," "Alternative Music Performance," "Americana Music Performance," and of course, "Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Interactive Media."

[caption id="attachment_329238" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{[Image Source: Nintendo Life]}[/caption]While this will be the first time that video game music will be honored in its own category, this is not the first time that score from a ga?me has won a Grammy.

Most recently, The 8-Bit Band took home "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella" for their cover of Kirby Super Star's "Meta Knight's Revenge" earlier this year. Civilization IV composer Christopher Tin won the "Best Instrumental Arrangement with a Vocalist" award for the track "Baba Yetu" in 2010. Journey composer Austin Wintory was nominated for the "Best Score Soundtrack for V??isual Media" award, b??ut unfortunately didn't take home the win.

Hopefully now that games have an entire category of their own, the incredible work tha?t game composers do will be recognized on a larger scale. Game composers have a whole new set of challenges to face when writing for interactive media, which,? in my eyes at least, is really what makes it stand out from other types of scores.

Video games will always have awards for musi??c within the industry, but taking home a Grammy award just hits different, I imagine.

The post The Grammy ?Awards just added a video game category appeared first on Destructoid.

Even Sander Cohen would be impressed

I love video games, and I love musical theater. There isn't a ton of crossover there (with the exception of Starkid's parody musical of The Oregon Trail, or Chorus: A Video Game Musical being developed by Summerfall Studios), but there is a new unofficial musical that loosely follows the plot of BioShock, created and performed by California's John Burroughs High School Powerhouse choir (via Eurogamer). The students presented the performance at the Hart Encore 2022 choir show, where the group won the biggest awards of the day: Musicianship, Showmanship, Best Soloist?, and of course, an overall First Place.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwpzZ-Ca0ts

All of the major players from the game are featured, like Andrew Ryan, Brigid Tenenbaum, and the esteemed Sander Cohen. It's a bit hard to hear the performers at times on the video due to the deafening cheers from the crowd �?I ??certainly can't blame them on that front �?but the songs they are singing seem to be versions of classics with rewritten lyrics to match the theme and story they want to tell, such as Proud Mary sung with the new lyrics "rolling underwater," for instance. Gotta love some clever wordplay.

As someone who was a part of many mediocre high school musical and choir productions in my day, I would have died to have something this cool and with this much production value. I doubt many of the people in the audience knew what the production was referencing, but as a big fan of the BioShock series and as someone who has also participated in show choir (not a big deal or anything, but I was dance captain), I can say with certainty that they nailed both the BioShock-ness and the performance.

It may lo?ok easy, but having that much choreography, costuming, sets, and overall polish to a performance like that takes months of hard work to perfect. Good on you JBHS, you deserve all your success and more.

The post BioShock musical swe?eps h?igh school show choir competition appeared first on Destructoid.

Long-time-coming sequel saw hugely positive reception

It took forever and a day to get here, but it appears that the wait was worth it. Psychonauts 2, whic?h launched on PS4, PC, and Xbox platforms back in 2021, was apparently a resounding success for Double Fine Games �?s?eemingly becoming the quirky studio's highest-rated and best-selling release to date.

This revelation comes via a series of tweets from Lisette Titre-Montgomery, who worked as an art director at Double Fine but left the studio in early April. Titre-Montgomery notes in her tweets that the chrono-conundrum sequel received numerous nominations at The Game Awards 2021 (including Best Art Direction and Game of the Year), as well as the 2021 DICE Awards (Adventure Game of the Year, Best Art Direction), ultimately becoming the studio's best-rated title. This is a meaty accomplishment given Double Fine's respected pedigree of hits, including Brutal Legend, The Cave, and Broken Age.

//twitter.com/zette16/status/1520114185970982917?s=20&t=?RWqdhK6mmw0VPUANxJxBxg

While no specific number was revealed, "best-selling" would imply that Psychonauts 2 has surpassed the studio's record of 1.7 million sales �?previously achieved by the original Psychonauts back in 2005. It should also be noted that Psychonauts 2 was available on the Xbox Game Pass service, so it is unknown whether downloads are being taken into account. Either way, there's no denying that the sequel has been a smash ?hit with fans. Here's hoping they won't have to wait an??other 17 years for Raz's next return.

Psychonauts 2 is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One, you can check out our own Zoey Handley's thoughts on the psychedelic adventure right here.

The post Psychonauts 2 reportedly Double Fine’s ‘best-selling’ release to date appeared first on Destructoid.

Both indies and big productions took home trophies today

The winners for the 2022 BAFTA Games Awards have been announced, and Housemarque's Returnal took home the top prize. Alongside the PlayStation 5 exclusive, several other stars of 2021 added? more trophies to their collection t??onight.

Returnal leads the pack with wins in Best Game, Best Music, Audio Achievement, and Performer in a Leading Role for Jane Perry. It Takes Two and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart took home two BAFTAs apiece. Unpacking also took home two, thanks to the pu??blicly voted EE Game of the Yea??r award.

The indies made a strong showing tonight, though. Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Inscryption, Before Your Eyes, TOEM, Unpacking, and The Artful Escape all won awards. And No Man's Sky received recognition for ?its continuous growth, winning the Evo?lving Game category.

The 2022 BAFTA Games Awards were held in London and streamed out over Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. You can find a Twitch VOD of the awards show here.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOezF7i4mB0

BAFTA Games Awards 2022 Winners

Animation: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - I?nsomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Artistic Achievement: The Artful Escape - Beethoven & Di??nosaur / Annapurna Interactive

Audio Achievement: Returnal - Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Best Game: Returnal - Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment

British Game: Forza Horizon 5 - Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios

Debut Game: TOEM - Something We Made

Evolving Game: No Man's Sky - Hello Games

Family: Chicory: A Colorful Tale - Greg Lobanov, A Shell in the Pit, Madeline Berger, Alexis ??Dean-Jones, Lena Raine / Finji

Game Beyond Entertainment: Before Your Eyes - GoodbyeWorld Games / Skybound Games

Game Design: Inscryption - Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital

Multiplayer: It Takes Two - Hazelight Studios / Electronic  Arts

Music: Returnal - Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Narrative: Unpacking - Wren Brier, Tim Dawson, Annie VanderMeer - Witch Be??am / Humble Game??s

Original Property: It Takes Two

Performer in a Leading Role: Jane Perry as Selene Vassos, Returnal

Performer in a Supporting Role: Kimberly Brock as Hollis Forsythe, Psychonauts 2

Technical Achievement: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entert?ainment

EE Game of the Year (Public Vote): Unpacking - Witch Beam / Humble Games

The post Returnal, It Takes Two, and Ratchet & Clank among winners at 2022 BAFTA Games Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Drama recognized for its LGBTQ inclusive storytelling

The past weekend saw the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) organization hold its 33rd annual GLAAD Media ?Awards ceremony. Emanating out of the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, the event recognized positive contributions toward the LGBTQ community via the medium of film, print, music, TV, and other forms of entertainment.

Among the 30 categories featured on the big night was the GLAAD award for "Outstanding Video Game," which was taken home by the Deck Nine-developed, Square Enix-published interactive drama Life is Strange: True Colors, which launched on PC and console platforms in September 2021. The latest entry in the much-loved adventure series was recognized for its inclusive cast of characters and open approach to LGBTQ matters �?themes that have become a core element for the LiS series as a whole.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-UU8h-iAo

The runner-up nominations included Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games), Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft), The Gardener and the Wild Vines (Finite Reflection Studios), Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab), Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios), Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan (ManaVoid Entertainment/Skybound Games), Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft), Unpacking (Witch Beam/Humble Games), and finally Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk/Humble Games).

Other wins on the night included "Outstanding Documentary" Changing the Game (Hulu), "Outstanding New TV Series" Hacks (HBO Max), "Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series" It’s A Sin (HBO Max), "Outstanding Magazine Coverage" The Advocate, and a tie for "Outstanding Reality Program" by RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) and We’re Here (HBO).

You can check out the full list of winners over on the official 33rd GLAAD Media Awards press release.

Life is Strange: True Colors is available now on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia. It will also arrive on the Xbox Game Pass service next week.

The post Life is Strange: True Colors scores ‘Oustanding Video Game’ at GLAAD Media Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Eat the Music

In an odd ?but fun little headline, beloved bottoml??ess pit Kirby has bagged himself an official Grammy Award, becoming the first Nintendo character to do so. The pink puffball picked up the gong at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, which was held Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Strictly speaking, the award was won by the talented duo of Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman, who were nominated in the "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" category. The winning tune was the big band composition of the Jun Ishikawa theme "Meta Knight's Revenge," which appears in the 1996 SNES release Kirby Super Star.

You can check out the winning track, as performed by The 8-bit Big Band, below. PARP!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-gTlQn8wec

Rosen and Silverman, who are well-known for the jazz and big band covers of famous video game ??themes, were understandably over-the-moon with the Grammy win, failing to hide their excitement in an announcement on social media.

"HOLY SHIT WE WON THE GRAMMY!! LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!" wrote the duo on Twitter. "Thanks to everybody who’s ever listened to [the8bitbigband], ALL of (the) artists who have contributed their tim??e/talent and of cour??se HUGE thanks to my co-arranger the one and only Button_Masher!! MUCH LOVE!"

The 8-bit Band rendition of "Meta Knight's Revenge" is only the second piece of video game music to win a Grammy Award. Back in 2010, composer Christopher Tin won "Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocalist" for the track "Baba Yetu," which appeared in strategy epic Civilization 4. A few years later, Journey composer Austin Wintory was nominated in the "Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media"  category, a surely deserving nomination that unfortunat?ely failed to score the win.

I guess the only question that remains is who truly won the Grammy, Kirby or Meta Knight?

Maybe we ha????ve the dramatic crux of the next Kirby release lying right underneath our noses.

//??www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/708583??9144701742341?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7052788164067706373

The post Kirby has become Nintendo’s first Grammy Award winner appeared first on Destructoid.

It's the first to win the big award at both ceremonies

The 22nd Game Developers Choice Awards and 24th annual Independent Games Festival Awards were held last night in San Francisco. Many different games were honored, but Inscryption made history by taking both big awards of the nig??ht.

Daniel Mullins Games' Inscryption won Game of the Year at the 2022 GDC Awards and the Grand Prize at the IGF Awards. It's the first game to ever do? so. The narrative deckbuilding game also won for Excellence in Design, Audio, and Narrative at the IGF Awards.

Other big winners include Unpacking, Valheim, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, each of which took home two GDC Awards apiece. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Steven Spohn was recognized with the Ambassador Award for his work in advocating for a?nd impro??ving accessibility in games.

//twitter.com/O??ff??icial_GDC/status/1506825929699430401

Here's the full list of winners, for both the GDC and IGF Awards.

2022 Game Developers Choice Award winners:

• Best Debut: Valheim (Iron Gate Studio)
• Best Visual Art: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Best Audio: Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble Games)
• Best Narrative: Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine Productions / Xbox Game Studios)
• Social Impact Award: Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
• Innovation Award: Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble Games)
• Best Technology: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Best Design: It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
• Audience Award: Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)
• Game of the Year: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
• Ambassador Award: Steven Spohn
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Yuji Horii

2022 Independent Games Festival Award winners:

• Best Student Game: Live Adventure (Live Adventure Team)
• Excellence in Design: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)
• Excellence in Visual Art: Papetura (Petums)
• Excellence in Audio: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)
• Nuovo Award: Memory Card (Lily Zone)
• Excellence in Narrative: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)
• Audience Award: Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club)
• Seumas McNally Grand Prize: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)

The post Inscryption had a big night at this year’s GDC and IGF Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Death Stranding and Metal Gear creator honored

Kojima Productions announced that its director, Hideo Kojima, has received the Award of Fine Arts from Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science??, and Technology.

The honor is awarded by the Japanese government to individuals who excel i??n the cultural arts. Categories for t?he annual award include film, music, literature, dance, broadcasting, critique, and media arts. Kojima is only the second video game developer to have received the Fine Arts award, following Nintendo veteran Shigeru Miyamoto, who was handed the honor back in 2010.

As reported by Siliconera, Kojima was the recipient of this year's award due to the director's work on esoteric sci-fi adventure Death Stranding, which was praised by the cultural ?arts committee for its dynamic vision and scope �?with attention paid to its overall narrative of segmented societies reconnecting through the protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges.

In addition, Kojima was praised for his esoteric approach to game design, and persistent desire to implement new and intriguing mechanics and narratives to his titles �?a design methodology that resonates all the way back to his earliest works, including the 1987 release Metal Gear.

Death Stranding is available now on PS4 and PC. A "Director's Cut" edition featuring additional content is now available on PS5, with a PC port launching on Steam and ?Epic Games Store on March 25.

//??twitter.com/KojiPro2015_EN/status/1501475047458078720?s=20&t=iWg8yIvqmzTkxLEGKPS?7RQ

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Eight nominations for Housemarque's epic

We're into the second wave of Game of the Year gongs for 2021. Earlier this week saw gongs handed out at the annual DICE Awards, and yesterday saw the British Academy of Film and Television Arts unveil its nominees ??for this year's iteration of the BAFTA Games Awards, scheduled for April 7.

Among a litany of excellent releases from gaming's past year, it is Housemarque's bullet-hell roguelike Returnal with the most to gain, having received a lofty eight nominations in categories including Best Game, Original Property, Narrative, Game Design, and Music. Also putting in an appearance is EA's multiple Game of the Year winner It Takes Two, which will be looking to add a third "Best of" to its previous accolades, scored at The Game Awards and The DICE Awards.

Also in the running amongst the 16 BAFTA categories are Arkane's chrono-shooter Deathloop, Playground's gorgeous racer Forza Horizon 5, and Insomniac's fuzzy adventure Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Showing out for the little guys is Daniel Mullins' creepy Inscryption, Acid Nerve's excellent Death's Door, and Witchbeam's viral hit Unpacking.

Th??e full list of nominees for the BAFTA Games Awards is as fo??llows:

Best Game

• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Inscryption (Daniel Mullins)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Returnal (Housemarque)

EE Game of the Year (Public Vote)

• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• The Forgotten City (Storyteller)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios/EA)
• Metroid Dread (Mercury Steam/Nintendo)
• Unpacking (Witch Beam)
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Greg Lobanov)

British Game

• Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (ustwo Games)
• Death's Door (Acid Nerve)
• Fights In Tight Spaces (Ground Shatter)
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Overboard (Inkle Studios)
• Sable (Shedworks)

Evolving Game

• Among Us (Innersloth)
• Animal Crossing: New Horizon (Nintendo)
• Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment)
• Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• No Man's Sky (Hello Games)

Debut Game

• The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur)
• Eastward (Pixpil)
• The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller)
• Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den)
• Maquette (Graceful Decay)
• TOEM (Something We Made)

Technical Achievement

• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)
• Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
• Returnal (Housemarque)

Original Property

• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Death's Door (Acid Nerve)
• Inscryption (Daniel Mullins)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Returnal (Housemarque)
• Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Narrative

• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Life Is Strange: True Colours (Square Enix)
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Square Enix)
• Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)
• Returnal (Housemarque)
• Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Music

• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft Toronto)
• Halo Infinite (343 Industries)
• Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Returnal (Housemarque)

Multiplayer

• Back 4 Blood (Turtle Rock)
• Call of Duty Vanguard (Sledgehammer Games)
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Halo Infinite (343 Industries)
• Hell Let Loose (Black Matter)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)

Game Design

• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Inscryption (Daniel Mullins)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomanic Games)
• Returnal (Housemarque)

Family

• Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (ustwo Games)
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Greg Lobanov)
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games)
• Mario Party Superstars (Nintendo)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Unpacking (Witch Beam)

Audio Achievement

• The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur)
• Call of Duty: Vanguard (Sledgehammer Games)
• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Halo Infinite (343 Industries)
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Square Enix)
• Returnal (Housemarque)

Artistic Achievement

• The Artful Escape (Beethoven and Dinosaur)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
• Returnal (Housemarque)

Animation

• Call of Duty: Vanguard (Sledgehammer Games)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
• Life Is Strange: True Colors (Square Enix)
• Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)

Game Beyond Entertainment

• Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (ustwo Games)
• Before Your Eyes (Goodbye World)
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Greg Lobanov)
• Game Builder Garage (Nintendo)
• It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios)
• Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine)

The post BAFTA Ga??mes Awards nominees include Re?turnal, Deathloop, It Takes Two appeared first on Destructoid.

How Celeste's award went missing in the first place is a mystery

Platforming indie darling Celeste took the gaming industry by storm back in 2018, and won two awards at that year's Game Awards: Games for Impact and Best Independent Game. While the game is still thought of fondly over four years later, news has just come to light that its developer, Extremely OK Games, never?? received one of their well-earned awards, at least physically, after it mysteriously went missing.

[caption id="attachment_310468" align="alignnone" width="1165"] _{[Image Source: Kotaku / Prestige]}[/caption]As reported by PC Gamer and Kotaku, streamer Prestige is Key was scouring the internet to find a replica of the Game Award trophies that we see handed out time and time again each year. He finally found a listing on eBay, and lo and ??behold, it was a real award listed, not just a ??replica.

Prestige proceeded to bid on the item and win, and once it arrived, he saw that it was none other than the actual award that the Celeste team had won and been handed on stage.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLKVU9mfBME

When he asked the seller where it came from, their answer only vaguely alluded to some "liquidation sources," which didn't quite add up considering Extremely OK is still around making games.

Most of the time, the awards that get passed out on stage durin??g shows don't actually have the name of the winner on them �?that's added later �?so although Ninja presented an award to the team when they won, that statue was promptly handed back to staff when they walked offstage, and then Extremely OK's real award just... never showed up (although their statue for the Games for Impact award seemed to make it to them just fine).

[caption id="attachment_310469" align="alignnone" width="1165"] _{[Image Source: Kotaku / Prestige]}[/caption]After figuring out the award in his possession was indeed real �?and missing �?Prestige got in touch with the studio to make sure he could get it back to them. In return, Extremely OK decided to send him some signed copies of Celeste, as well as reimbu??rse him f?or the auction and shipping costs.

This is probably the best this scenario could have turned out, and it makes me happy to see some genuinely kind people gaming. G??ood on you, Prestige.

The post A streamer accidentally bought Celeste’s missing Game Award appeared first on Destructoid.

Super Auto Pets was robbed

Another trip around the sun has been completed and so we conclude our year-end look at the best video games that came out in 2021. While the staff has had their say, we here at Destructoid love to give t??he community a chance to voice its game of the year opinion as well.

As always, I reached out to various community members and moderators for insight as to how the selected games affected them. It also helps since I apparently was vastly out of touch with the community at large and didn't touch a single of the games in the top five. So without anymore brouhaha, let's get into the top five games of 2021 as s??elected by you, our community!

5th place - Shin Megami Tensei V

JRPGs have always had a good home on Nintendo’s systems, all the way back to the golden days of Final Fantasy on NES and SNES. For proof that the Switch is living up to that proud tradition, look no further than Shin Megami Tensei V.

Shin Megami Tensei V quite noticeably ??decided to put gameplay first, but nevertheless managed to expertly set the post-apocalyptic scene. From the opening cutscene detailing how the Christian God took divinity from all other deities and reduced them to mere demons, all the way to the very end, it’s easy to get sucked into the dark setting filled to the brim with religious commentary.

That said, the real draw of SMT V is the combat system, as well as optimizing your team of increasingly stronger demons. SMT after all, is not unlike Pokémon, if Pokémon had you fighting alongside Loki, Quetzalcoatl, Shiva, and some ridiculously obscure monster from any culture’s folklore you care to name. Also unlike Pokémon, Shin Megami Tensei V forces you to constantly change up and improve your team. Every level-up comes with new opportunities to recruit something stronger, and you’ll constantly be maki??ng new decisions ab??out how to spec for upcoming bosses.

Pair all of this with the series staple “Press Turn�?system, which massively rewards exploiting enemy weakness, and you’ve got a JRPG that is endlessly add??icting. Every time I wanted to put the game down, I realized that just one more level would let me finally get that demon I’ve been eyeing for hours. Every time you turn a corner, there is some distant landmark calling your name. And every time you start wondering when the story is going to progress again, some impressive scene of gods, angels, and demons is there to greet you.

Long story short: if you’re a fan of JRPGs, if you’re looking for some of the best combat of the genre, and if you like your ‘mons to be a little more dark and serious, look no further than Shin Megami Tensei V.

-ShadeOfLight, Moderator

4th place - Resident Evil Village

The Resident Evil series reminds me a lot of Lady Gaga. Reinvention is a word that comes to mind. Also, meat dress. The success of Village comes from the RE team’s ability to balance the sensibilities of the franchise while moving it forward into the future. This was evident in how Village felt like a greatest hits collection of the franchise. The f??our lords domains each took cues from prior games, a gamble that paid off. Taking the player back to the halcyon days of wandering a baroque mansion solving puzzles had me grinning like a kid again. Then I went to the doll’s house.

We don’t talk about the doll’s house.

The RE team has shown that they know what makes Resident Evil work. They get the atmosphere, the horror, and the ?camp. You’re playing your favorite stra?ight-to-video horror movie that somehow got a summer blockbuster budget.

Village played to its strengths. It had so much of what we’ve grown to love and celebrate in the RE series but it still felt fresh and new. That’s all I’ve ever wanted from my beloved Resident Evil games.

Meat dress. Doll’s house. This game was awesome.

-Occams Electric Toothbrush, Lead Moderator

3rd place - Psychonauts 2

Was the original Psychonauts 16 years ago, or three days? The answer depends on whether you ask us gamers or the characters in Psychonauts 2. The newly released sequel continues the story from Psychonauts without a single hitch.

Be that as it may, video games have moved forward quite a lot since 2005, and it goes without saying that Psychonauts 2 incorporates many improvements to the formula. Platforming feels a lot smoother, combat is ??a lot more involved than it ever was, and the mental worlds you visit look better than ever.

However, Psychonauts 2’s greatest achievement is in its characters, level design, and how incredibly well the two align with each other. Many characters whose minds you enter suffer from some kind of mental illness. This ranges from addiction to overstimulation, and from anxiety to losing a sense of identity. Each of these is reflected directly in its respective level as ??well as in its enemies.

For example, jumping into the mind of the character who gets overstimulated leads you to a psychedelic landscape of oversaturated colors where lots of objects just move too fast. While there, you encounter Panic Attacks. That is to say, enemies representing panic attacks. They are fast, scary, they hit you when you’re not looking, and just seeing them pop up fills you with dread. In short, they’re an apt representa?tion of real panic attacks.

Psychonauts 2 thus deals with mental health in a very respectful and recognizable way. Every character is handled with a gentle touch, an?d each is integral to solving their own issues, albeit with a lot of outside help on the part of the player.

Of course, Psychonauts 2 never sacrifices tight level design, fun, and wonder to make its points. If anything, its mental worlds go far beyond what the original managed to pull off. Great set-pieces, beautifully themed worlds, and new surprises around every corner make Psychonauts 2 one of the most heartfelt and imaginative g??ames of 2021.

-ShadeOfLight, Moderator

Runner-Up - Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread had a lot to live up to, being the first entirely new 2D side-scrolling Metroid game in about 20 years since Metroid Fusion and its direct sequel as well. Fusion also happens to be the game that got me into Metroid as a franchise, being my first experience with it so I was nervously excited for this game. MercurySteam’s previous effort remaking Samus Returns was a good game, and I figured Dread would be good at worst, but also accepted it probably wouldn’t l?ive up to its predecessors.

I'm glad to report that I was wrong. This game is great and in my opinion, deserves to stand amongst the other 2D Metroids. Additionally, Dread fixes many of the criticisms I had with Samus Returns. Map design is good and it generally keeps nudging you in the right direction, with teleporters cutting down on transit time as the map gets larger. Areas look really good with a solid variety of biomes, lots of nice attention to detail and the EMMI chases can be really tense and exciting, even if a little more variety or personal?ity would have helped them stay fresh. The new monster designs are pretty appealing and/or downright repulsive, and I think this might be one of my favorite suits of power armor that Samus ha?s worn.

One of the best elements of the game is the gameplay. It feels so good to play and it has been refined very well. It's fun just to move, and it's obvious lessons have been learned from other Metroidvanias that have come about in the intervening years since Fusion. I think generally the combat flow is good, especially as you begin to click with it (an option to rebind controls wouldn’t go amiss though). The aiming feature and being able to stand in place while firing is a welcome continuation from the Samus Returns remake a??nd the slide among other combat abilities allow combat to get more complex, with some pretty enjoyable and challeng??ing boss fights.

The story is also surprisingly enjoyable despite a few quibbles, building on the previous lore and the universe proper in some positive and interesting ways. Samus shows her personality in cutscenes and in gameplay without needing to say a word in a way that greatly reminds me of Doom 2016 and there's a lot of good atte??ntion to detail in the animations generally.

I adore Dread if my gushing hasn’t made it obvious, and I think one of the highest compliments I can pay it is that immediately after I beat it at 100%, I started a new save. I? know not everyone gels with it, but speaking purely for myself I love it, and I still almost can’t believe that it even exists. And I’m hungry for MORE.

-Gamemaniac3434, Community member

2021 Community Game of the Year Winner - Deathloop

Time loops constituted one of the biggest trends in video game storytelling in 2021. Whether you were exploring a roguelike planet in Returnal, trying to find your way out of a doomed city of antiquity in The Forgotten City, or spending six hours committing some very questionable acts in 12 Minutes, it seemed many games writers wanted players to get the most out of a short period of time last year. Each of those titles handled the concept in their own unique way, but I don’t think any game in 2021 was as effective in utilizing this storytelling technique as Deathloop.

Expectations were high for Arkane Studio’s oft-delayed follow-up to its past hit titles like Prey and Dishonored. Thankfully, outside of one horribly misguided plot twist at the end, Deathloop delivered. Not only did it feature outstanding stealth gameplay, a satisfying feel to all of its weapons, and some creative ways to kill your enemies thanks to the slabs, but it also approached the concept of a time loop in an extreme??ly thoughtful way.

Each run of the day, each failure on the part of the player, only made Cole more efficient, more capable, and more deadly. With the most stylishly designed world of 2021 just chock full of little areas of interest, Deathloop slowly transitioned from a game I thought I could kill a few hours with into one I?? never wanted to end until I was sure I had seen it all.

Sure, other players hopping into my game as Julianna to kill me right before I made my escape was a real kick to the shins, but it was all part of the fun. I’ll admit, it took me a while to really get into Deathloop. For whatever reason, it just didn't click right away. Probably all those damn tutorials. But once I got into the flow of things, once I started knocking off those Visionaries and stealing their powers, I didn’t want to put the controller down. Undoubtedly well worth the wait, it’s easy to see why so many votes were stuffed into ballots this year to name Deathloop as the jbsgame.community Pick of 2021.

-CJ Andriessen, Staff Editor

And there you have it, congrats to Arkane for putting out such a loved and cherished game that it received 70 community votes for top game of the year within the span of an hour! The final results of the vote, as well as the top 25 games chosen and a full rundown of the points amassed, can be viewed here.

As a reminder, a game that got voted in the top spot received three points, while a game receiving? a runner-up vote received two ??points, then the third-place vote got one point.

Don't you worry Hell Let Loose, you're still number one in my heart.

Thank??s as always to all the readers and com?munity members for continuing to be a part of this little slice of the internet.

The post The 2021 jbsgame.community Game of the Year winners are… appeared first on Destructoid.